IAS officer Ravindra Goswami says that his passion for reading steered him slowly towards the world of blog writing. Reading puts a multitude of thoughts and ideas into his mind which he then translates into words. His blogs on his journey to civil services and experiences in that field are widely read and are quite popular among UPSC aspirants.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the officer, currently posted as Joint Secretary in the Department of Personnel, Government of Rajasthan, spoke about his zeal for writing, derived from his original passion for reading.
FROM READING TO WRITING
Mr. Goswami believes that his passion for reading gave birth to his writing. Thanks to the internet and smartphone that have made limitless reading possible at the touch of a finger, the officer immersed himself in reading the works of different authors.
According to him, reading generates or shapes ideas or thoughts. When there is an input of ideas and thoughts, there will surely be an output. And, in his case, this output was the urge to write.
“I also have this feeling that each one of us has some unique stories about our lives which we only know about, as there are three aspects of us – first, known to all; second, known to closer people, and third is known to self. This third kind is the generator of the stories, and our mind quickly connects whenever we perceive a similar story,” Mr. Goswami told Indian Masterminds.
SHARING THOUGHTS WITH OTHERS
A person can become a great writer only when he has stories in his mind that he wishes to share with people. These can be stories from his own experiences as well as from his imagination, but a person’s writing will only boost up when it’s a story worth reading by the readers – something that rings a bell in their mind or something with which they can connect.
“Writing is one such medium and it connects me to a larger group of people. When many of them write back to me, I realize that each one of us has many unique stories to tell and somehow there is an underlying similarity in each of them. Like branches of a tree – they are all same but unique at the same time,” stated the 2016-batch officer of Rajasthan cadre.
BALANCING WORK AND PASSION
Being an IAS officer is not an easy job. It is a service that requires immense determination and hard work. With such a demanding job, it is not very easy to take out time to follow one’s passion. However, the latest technology and the availability of time in smaller slots help the officer to write his heart out.
“Generally, a peaceful environment is what I need to write. For that, I try to schedule my time in such a manner that I get some quality time to think and write,” he told Indian Masterminds.
The officer also indulges in a good game of chess now and then to break the monotony of work. “I generally prefer multitasking and play online chess for breaking the monotony of the schedule. Somehow, chess, reading, and writing are mixed up in my way of doing the things at optimum level.”
The officer, who writes blogs frequently, is now planning to write books on various topics related to his life and more.
